Threads of Innovation Symposium – Afternoon Programme
During Threads of Innovation - Then. Now. Next, TextielMuseum | TextielLab brings together international makers, designers, architects, researchers and industry partners to explore the future of textiles. The afternoon programme forms the practical and interactive heart of the symposium, building on the insights from the keynote talks and translating them into practice.
During the break-out sessions, you will gain unique insight into the processes behind innovation. In small groups, participants engage in conversations with designers, researchers, industry partners and TextielLab experts about current projects, material research and new ways of making.
From material development and technological innovation to architecture, production processes and the future of craftsmanship, the sessions demonstrate how new applications emerge through curiosity, experimentation and collaboration.
The TextielLab provides an inspiring environment for this exchange: a place where ideas are tested, materials are explored and different disciplines come together. It is precisely through this exchange that new perspectives on the future of textiles can emerge.
Break-out sessions
Innovation through Collaboration: How art explores new possibilities within industrial weaving
With Peter Dornier (CEO, DORNIER), Hebe Verstappen (Head of TextielLab), Stef Miero (Product Developer, TextielLab) and Alexandra Ross (textile artist).
What happens when artists use industrial weaving machines for purposes they were never designed for? In this breakout session, Peter Dornier, Hebe Verstappen, Stef Miero and Alexandra Ross reflect on 25 years of collaboration between DORNIER and the TextielLab. Together, they explore how artists, designers, engineers and machine builders have challenged the possibilities of industrial Jacquard weaving, leading to innovations in materials, techniques and machine development. The conversation also reveals how artistic experimentation not only transforms creative practice, but inspires technological innovation within industry itself. Set amongst the weaving machines that shaped this shared history, the session offers a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on collaboration as a driver of innovation.
Inside Material Innovation: Innovations, cases and future insights from the Kvadrat Innovation Lab
With Lea Nordström (Head of Kvadrat Innovation Lab) and Lise Brunt (Material Specialist, TextielLab).
How do new textile materials move from experiment to real-world application? In this breakout session, Lea Nordström offers an inside look at the Kvadrat Innovation Lab, where new materials and circular production methods are developed in collaboration with universities, startups and industry partners. Through case studies and material samples, she explores the role of experimentation, sustainability and technical performance in shaping the textiles of the future. In conversation with Lise Brunt, the session also reflects on the challenges and opportunities of material innovation, bringing together perspectives from industry and the TextielLab.
From Pixel to Pattern: Colour, structure and the evolution of Digital Weaving
With Kiki van Eijk (artist), Koen Taselaar (artist) and Judith Peskens (Product Developer, TextielLab).
How does a digital image become a woven textile? This breakout session explores the evolution of digital weaving, from the pioneering work of Peter Struycken to the contemporary practices of Kiki van Eijk and Koen Taselaar. Together, they reveal how colour, structure and digital technology have transformed the design process, opening up new possibilities for artistic expression. A live demonstration using NedGraphics software offers a behind-the-scenes look at how pixels are translated into weave structures, bringing together digital design, material knowledge and craftsmanship.
The Future of Woven Metal: A deep dive into ongoing research, experimentation and discovery
With Chris Kabel, Florian Idenburg (SO–IL), Akane Moriyama, Tomas Dirrix and Team Thursday.
What happens when the future of woven metal is still being shaped? This breakout session offers an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the TextielLab’s ongoing R&D project exploring the future of woven metal, giving participants a rare opportunity to step inside a research process that is still unfolding. Bringing together a multidisciplinary group of designers, architects and technical experts, this session explores ongoing experiments, unexpected discoveries and setbacks, revealing how innovation emerges through collaboration, curiosity and trial and error. Through presentations, material samples and open conversation, participants gain a first look at ideas and developments that are still in progress, while exploring how pushing the boundaries of materials opens up new possibilities for architecture, design and textile innovation. Following the discussion, participants are invited to visit the weaving machine and Sample Studio, where the research is currently taking place.
Please note that both the day ticket and the afternoon break-out sessions ticket include access to two break-out sessions. You can select your preferred sessions when purchasing your ticket. As places are limited, session selection is available on a first-come, first-served basis. We recommend booking early to secure your preferred sessions.
Experience, exchange and connect
The break-out sessions are designed to be interactive and intimate, creating space for in-depth discussion and direct exchange between participants and professionals from the international textile field.
Where possible, the sessions will take place in the working environment of the TextielLab, allowing participants to experience materials, techniques and processes up close. This makes visible how innovation actually emerges: through the combination of knowledge, experimentation and collaboration.
Tickets
You can choose from several ticket options:
Day ticket – €145,-
Access to the international keynote programme in the morning, the interactive break-out sessions in the afternoon, lunch and the networking drinks.
Break-out sessions ticket – €60,-
Access to the interactive break-out sessions in the afternoon and the networking drinks.
Student break-out sessions ticket – €15,-
A reduced-price ticket for students, including access to the interactive break-out sessions in the afternoon and the networking drinks.
Choose to experience the full-day programme or attend the break-out sessions in the afternoon only. Either way, there will be opportunities to gain inspiration, make new connections and be part of the international conversation about the future of textiles.
Threads of Innovation – Then. Now. Next
